Sewing machine lighting fixture



Sept '7, 1943. K. PERKINS 2,329,162

SEWING MACHINE LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l gram Kenneth Perkins Wif'weia:

Sept. 7, 1943. K. PERKINS 2,329,162

SEWING MACHINE LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 ,nwe iia Peri/i134? Patented Sept. 7, 1943 SEWING MACHINE LIGHTING FIXTURE Kenneth Perkins, Scotch Plains, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 8, 1941, Serial No. 377,982

Claims. (Cl.2402.14)

This invention relates to electric lighting fixtures, more particularly of the sewing machine illuminating type, and has for an object to pro vide a simple and inexpensive construction comprising an easily eflected assembly of compo nent parts which may be readily molded.

A further object of the invention is to provide. in a lighting fixture as above described, an improved lens-mounting to facilitate insertion and removal of the lens.

A- still further object of the invention is to provide an improved ventilating arrangement for the lighting fixture to prevent overheating of those external parts of the fixture likely to be touched by the operator.

A further purpose or the invention is to provide an improved assembly of shade, lens, reflector and light source for producing general illumination as well as spot illumination adjacent the needle of a sewing machine.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of certain specific embodiments oi the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a, sewing machine having mounted on its rear side a lighting fixture embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the sewing machine arm showing one means for attaching the lighting fixture thereto.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a mounting bracket assembly for a lighting fixture.

Fig. 4 is alongitudinal sectional view, partly Fig. 10 is an enlarged detailed sectional view on the line llllll of Fig. 4.

Fig. 11 is a disassembled perspective view showing the upper and lower sections of the lighting fixture with a part of the reflector in place in the upper section.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 portrays a lighting fixture i embodyin the invention mounted on the rear side of a sewing machine, comprising the cloth-plate 2, and a frame including a standard 3, bracketarm 4 and head 5.

.As shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, a preferred means of attaching the lighting fixture l to the sewing machine is by a lighting fixture support comprising a bracket 8 and a.

saddle-arm ill. The bracket 6 is fitted within a recess 7 in the frame beneath a cover-plate 8,

which closes an inspection opening 8 in the standard 3, and is secured in said recess by means screw 48 passing through a slot 50 in the saddle-.

arm in, and threaded into the lower externally semi-cylindrical section 44 of the lighting fixture, permits rotational adjustment thereof within the limits of the slot 50, and secures the fixture to the arm as shown best-in Fig. 3. Thus the lighting, fixture is rigidly yet adjustably secured upon the machine frame and extends horizontally along the rear side of the arm thereof.

More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the lighting fixture itself comprises an upper inverted trough-shaped element l3 and a lower frame-shaped lens-receiving element l4, preferably made of fBakelite or some other suitable molding material and adapted to be interfitted along the horizontal parting line l5. These parts are secured together by means of wire snap-rings l6, l1 and a screw I8 passing freely through an aperture i l in the forward end of the frame element, i4 and threaded into a complemental aperture IS in the shade element I3, Fig. 11.

The shade element i3 is formed, at one end, with an externally semi-cylindrical switchhousing portion I9, shown in Figs. 4 and 7, which contains a well known switch mechanism, comprising the spring contacts 20, 2i and complemental movable contact 22, shown in Fig. 8.

2 7 Located in a pocket formed by the portions 43 on the shade member and the portion 43 on the lens-receiving 'member, is a metal, screwthreaded lamp-socket 46 having slots II which are engaged by the lugs 45, formed on said porshown in section in Fig. and in more detail in Fig. 10. This joint comprises ribs on the shade element, which ribs are received in complementary notched portions 28 provided in the inner edge of the frame portion of the lens-receiving element, thereby preventing interior light from leaking out laterally to the exterior of the lighting fixture.

A semi-cylindrical reflector 21, preferably of metal, positioned between the lamp 24 and the shade element i3, is formed with extended ears 23 which are received in slots 23 in the shade element and in'recesses in the lens-receiving element l4. These ears are held between the overlying wall of the slots 29 in the shade element and the underlying wall 41 of recesses 30 in the lens-receiving element, thereby securing the reflector 21 in proper position relative to the lamp 24.

A lens 33 is formed with lateral edge flanges 32 which are slidably confined between the shoulders 3|, formed along the inner edges of the lens-receiving element l4, and the overlying ribs 25 of the shade element I3. The rear edge 36 of the lens 33 is vertically fiat and engages, in abutting relation, the shoulders 31, Fig. 11; which are formed on the lens-receiving element to provide alimiting stop for the lens. A recess 43, located in the front edge of the lens 33, is engaged by the downturned portion of a spring detent 4| secured in a slot 42 under the head of the screw i3 to yieldingly hold the lens inoperative position in the lighting fixture. There is thus provided means whereby a simple and easy insertion and removal of the lens from the lighting fixture may be effected by merely sliding the lens along the supporting guideway shoulders 3!. The lens 33 i preferably formed with a semi-cylindrical lateral exterior surface 34 and a semi-spherical end surface 35.

To prevent overheating of the lighting fixture, a cut-out portion 33 in the lens-receiving element, to the rear of the lens, provides an inlet for cooling air which circulates freely, as shown by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 5, around the refiector 21 and lamp 24 absorbing'heat therefrom and which, by natural convection, is expelled from the interior of the lighting fixture by way of the outlet slits 39 in the top and the apertures 40 in the end of the shade element, Fig. 6.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that I have provided an improved and simplified lighting fixture for sewing machines comprising a plurality of readily moldable parts which may be assembled readily and held together by simple connectors; in which the lens is removably supported in its operative position; and in which provision is made to prevent overheating of the device.

.It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention may, without departure from its essential attributes, be embodied in various specific forms other than those shown and described, which latter are to be considered in all respects as illustrative of the invention and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A lighting fixture having a lamp-socket and lamp, comprising two horizontally disposed relatively interfitting components, one forming an upper shade element containing top and end apertures, the other formingv a lower lens-receiving element having a bottom aperture and inturned edge portions, a lens having complemental out-turned flanged edge portions slidably positioned within said inturned edge-portions of the lens-receiving element and a reflector positioned intermediate the two components, said apertures providing means for ventilating the lighting fixture.

2. A lighting fixture having a lamp-socket and lamp, comprising two longitudinally disposed relatively interfitting components made from insulating material, one forming a trough-shaped shade element, the other forming a lens-receiving element provided with inturned edge portions, a lens having complemental out-turned edge portions slidably and releasably secured within said inturned edge portions of the lensreceiving element, and a reflector positioned intermediate the two components.

3. A lighting fixture construction having a lamp-socket and lamp, comprising two longitudinally disposed interengaglng components, one forming a trough-shaped lamp-shade element having a switch-housing portion, the other forming a complementary generally rectangular frame element provided with inturned edge portions and having a switch-housing portion, and a lighttransmittlng member having complemental outturned edge portions slidably and releasably positioned within said inturned edge portions in the frame of the rectangular frame element.

4. An electric lighting device having a lamp socket and lamp, comprising two longitudinally disposed interfitting components, one forming an inverted trough-shaped shade element, the other forming a lens-receiving element having laterally inturned edge portions, means for securing said elements together, a lens having complementai out-turned edge portions slidably and removably positioned on said edge portions in the lens-receiving element and a reflector positioned within the shade element.

5. A lighting fixture having a lamp-socket and lamp, comprising a shade member and a. lensreceiving member having relatively interengaged edge portions formed along a longitudinal peripheral parting-line, said lens-receiving member having an open, rectangular frame portion and an adjoining switch-housing portion, a lens having edge portions slidably and removably confined by the interengaged edge portions of said shade and lens-receiving members, and a reflector positioned intermediate said shade and lens-receiving members and secured at points between said edge portions.

6. A sectional lighting fixture having a lampsocket and lamp, comprising two separable sections forming a shade member and a lens-receiving member having integral interengaging longitudinal edge formations preventing relative horizontal movement thereof, said lens-receiving member having an open, rectangular frame portion and an adjoining switch-housing portion, a lens positioned with its edge portions intermediate the edge portions of said shade and lens-receiving members, and a reflector positioned intermediate said shade and lens-receiving members.

7. A sewing machine lighting fixture having a lamp-socket and lamp, comprising a split casing affording upper and lower separable sections, the upper of said sections having a lamp-shade portion and an adjoining switch-housing portion, the lower of said sections h'aving a switch-housing portion and an adjoining open frame portion which is in juxtaposition with the horizontal edge of the lamp-shade portion of the upper section of said casing, and alens element having edge portions confined by the juxtaposed lamp-shade and open frame portions of the separable sections of said casing.

8. In a sewing machine-lighting fixture having a lamp-socket and lamp, a longitudinally split casing affording upper and lower juxtaposed separable sections, the upper of said sections having an inverted trough-shaped lamp-shade portion and an adjoining recessed switch-housing portion, the lower of said sections having a switch-housing portion and an adjoining open frame portion formed with an edge which interengages the horizontal edge of the lampsh'ade portion of the upper section of said casing, and I a light-transmitting element having integral edge portions rmovably confined by the complemental edges of the juxtaposed lamp-shade and open frame portions of the separable sections of said casing. I

9. A lighting fixture having a lamp-socket and lamp, for a sewing machine comprising a longitudinally split casing affording two separable sections disposed in juxtaposition, one of said sections having a lamp-shade portion and an adjoiningswitch-housing portion, the other of said sections having a switch-housing portion and an adjoining open frame portion which is in juxtaposition with the longitudinal edge of the lamp-shade portion of one section of said casing, and a lens element having edge portions releasably confined by the juxtaposed lamp-shade and open frame portions of the separable sections of said casing. v

10. A sewing machine lighting fixture h'aving a lamp-socket and lamp, comprising a medially split casing affording upper and lower relatively detachable sections, the upper of said sections having an inverted trough-shaped lamp-shadeportion and an endwise-adjoining switch-housing portion, the lower of said sections having a switch-housing portion and an endwise-adjoining open frame lens-receiving portion which is in interengaging juxtaposition with the longitudinal edge of the lamp-shade portion of the upper section of said casing, and a light-transmitting closure element having edge portions slidably and releasably confinedby the juxtaposed lamp-shade and open frame edge portions of the separable sections of said casing.

- KENNETH PERKINS. 

